Two charged following shooting of man, pregnant woman in Bethlehem - UPDATE

Two Bethlehem area men are charged in connection with a shooting that police say stemmed from a fight over a driver revving his engine Tuesday outside a Marvine-Pembroke public housing apartment in the city.

A woman, who police say was six months pregnant, and a man suffered minor gunshot wounds.

Robinson Moyo-Torres, 40, of the 2000 block of Fifth Street, Bethlehem Township, Pa., and Joesyan Miranda, 22, of the 300 block of Hamilton Avenue, Bethlehem, were arrested Tuesday night by Bethlehem police and arraigned early this morning before District Judge Joseph K. Barner in Lower Nazareth Township.

Moyo-Torres, the alleged shooter, was charged with attempted homicide, discharging a firearm into an occupied structure, aggravated assault and several lesser charges, according to court records. He was sent to Northampton County Prison in lieu of $250,000 bail.

Miranda was charged with aggravated assault and reckless endangerment, court papers say. Miranda was also sent to Northampton County Prison in lieu of $150,000 bail.

According to court records:

Police responded at 4:07 p.m. Tuesday to a house in the 1200 block of Randolf Road for a report of two people being shot. Officers found that Surelys Collazo, who is pregnant, had been shot in the face and William Vasquez had been shot in the side and back. The injuries were described by police as not life-threatening.

Another man, William Vazquez-Penalbert, and Vazquez-Penalbert's infant son were in close proximity but weren't hit.

Witnesses told police a man with a beard wearing a sleeveless black T-shirt, later identified as Torres, had initiated an argument with them because Gerson Vazquez revved his car engine when he arrived at the house, where his brother, Vazquez-Penalbert, lives. The argument escalated to blows, and Vazquez-Penalbert punched Torres in the face.

A second man, later identified as Miranda, got involved in the fight and pulled out a knife. Vazquez-Penalbert also struck Miranda in the face, and Miranda and Torres fled in a black Chrysler 300.

About five minutes later, Torres returned on foot carrying a sawed-off shotgun, accompanied by a group of men, including Miranda. The victims tried to flee into the house as Torres fired a single shotgun blast at them. The suspects then left in the black Chrysler 300 and a gold Honda Accord.

Police received an anonymous tip that the shotgun had been stashed in a shed in the 1200 block of Woodbine Street, less than a block from the shooting. Officers searched the shed and found a shotgun covered in what appeared to be blood.

Police interviewed a man who relayed that a man matching Torres' description had paid him to hide the gun there.

Later, police received another anonymous tip indicating Torres, Miranda and a man called "JR," later identified as Santiago Rivera III, were involved in the incident. Police found the Chrysler 300 and Honda Accord at the Knights Inn on Airport Road and took the three men into custody.

When interviewed by police, Miranda denied involvement in the shooting but said he saw Torres carrying the sawed-off shotgun.

Rivera, who was not charged with any crimes as of today but is alleged to have driven Torres and Miranda from the scene, also denied involvement in the shooting, police said. He told police Torres repeatedly said, "I didn't hit no one," after they drove away.

Vazquez-Penalbert identified Torres from a photo lineup as the shooter and Miranda as the man who pulled a knife on him.

Court papers note Torres was "uncooperative" at his arraignment.

Torres and Miranda are scheduled for preliminary hearings 1 p.m. March 28 before District Judge Patricia Romig-Passaro in Bethlehem.

Bethlehem police Lt. Mark DiLuzio said the investigation into the shooting is still open and additional charges could be filed. DiLuzio said authorities want to search the vehicles involved in the incident.

A call to St. Luke's University Hospital in Fountain Hill seeking condition updates on the shooting victims was not immediately returned.